CSA Brigadier General John H. Kelly, 1864 ALS to AAG

CSA Brigadier General John H. Kelly, 1864 ALS to AAG Major E. Spruel Burford

Kelly, John Herbert (1840-1864). Youngest brigadier general in the Confederate States Army. ALS, 1p, 5.25 x 8.25 in., "Hd qtrs Kelly's [incecipherable] Div." August 7, 1864. Addressed to Lieutenant E. Spruel Burford, while he was serving as General Joseph Wheeler's adjutant. Verso inscription reads, "Maj ES Burford / AAG."

Body of letter reads: "In reply to your comm-unication relative to a Regt for Maj Phifer, I have the honor to state that[?] the 12th confed is without a field officer, this is a very small Regt. I regret that there is not a full one."

As the youngest brigadier general in the CSA at the time of his promotion, and one of the youngest generals to die during the Civil War, John H. Kelly was affectionately called "The Boy General of the Confederacy." After training at West Point, Kelly joined the Confederate Army as a second lieutenant. After serving at Fort Morgan until the Fall of 1861, Kelly joined William Hardee's staff in Missouri, and thereafter led the 9th Arkansas Infantry Battalion in battle at Shiloh. He continued leading troops in important battles including Perryville, Murfreesboro, and Chickamauga, where his horse was famously shot out from under him. Because of his bravery in battle, Kelly was promoted to brigadier general on November 16, 1863 at the age of 23. The next year, Kelly's brigade proved instrumental in the Battle of Pickett's Mill and joined Wheeler's raid on Sherman's railroad supply line in Franklin, Tennessee. It was in Franklin (nearly one month after the letter featured here was written) that he sustained a fatal shot to the chest and died after being taken to the Harrison House the following day.
Condition Report: Letter with creasing, spotting, and small tears and rips along left, right, and bottom edges (including a hole near center right edge).